Dill and Horseradish Sauce has a special place in our family’s Finnish summer cooking routine. We often serve it when there’s fresh fish dish the table, accompanied by gently steamed new potatoes. The tangy, creamy texture and the subtle heat from the horseradish make it the perfect partner for grilled or poached salmon, pike-perch, or whitefish.
What Makes This Dill and Horseradish Sauce So Special?
But it’s not just for fish. This sauce also pairs beautifully with vegetable patties or fritters. In those cases, I sometimes leave out the horseradish and add an extra teaspoon of Dijon mustard instead. The result is a milder, but equally flavorful sauce that works wonderfully with all sorts of summer meals.
What makes this sauce truly Nordic is the use of kermaviili, a Scandinavian-style fermented dairy product similar to sour cream but lighter and less thick. It has a mild tang and a creamy, smooth texture that’s perfect for sauces and dips. In Finland, kermaviili is commonly used in everything from dressings to baking and marinades. If you can’t find kermaviili, try mixing plain yogurt with a bit of cream or combining sour cream and cream in equal parts to achieve a similar consistency and flavor.
Serving Suggestions for a Classic Finnish Summer Dish
Fresh herbs—especially dill and chives- bring a bright, garden-fresh taste that’s essential to this sauce. A squeeze of lemon juice ties everything together and cuts through the richness, making each bite feel refreshing and well-balanced.
For a complete traditional Finnish summer meal, pair this dill and horseradish sauce with my Perfectly Grilled Salmon Fillet recipe. The creamy sauce beautifully complements the smoky, tender salmon. You can also serve it alongside the refreshing Finnish Pickled Cucumbers, which add a crisp and tangy contrast to your plate. Together, these recipes create an authentic taste of Finland’s summer flavors.
Whether you’re preparing a casual weeknight fish dinner or a festive summer lunch, this dill and horseradish sauce is the kind of recipe you’ll come back to again and again. It’s simple to make, incredibly versatile, and brings that unmistakable Finnish flavor to your plate.
Dill and Horseradish Sauce – a Traditional Finnish Recipe for Fish
Ingredients
- 100 ml Nordic kind of sour cream or substitute with plain yogurt (5-10%fat)
- 100 ml crème fraîche
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp freshly grated horseradish or horseradish paste
- ½-1 tsp flaky sea salt to taste
- 1 dl about half a cup of finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Stir until smooth and evenly mixed.
- Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Notes
Serving Suggestions:
This dill-horseradish sauce is especially good with:- Grilled, baked, or poached salmon
- Fried whitefish (such as pike-perch, perch, or whitefish)
- Cold-smoked or hot-smoked fish
- Fish cakes or fish patties
- Boiled or steamed new potatoes
- Vegetable patties
